Horse-power



J. O. PRUET. HORSE POWER (No Model.)

No. 403,371. Patented May 14, 1889.

INVEW'TOR,/ I I W /fii WITNESSES I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. PRUET, OF EL DORADO SPRINGS, MISSOURI.

H ORSE- POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,371, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed December 14:, 1887. Serial No.257,885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. PRUET, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of El Dorado Springs, in the county of Cedar and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Powers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved horse-power. Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe same with one edge of the main or drive wheel broken away, as indicated by dotted lines; and Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical sectional View taken on line 00 cc, Fig. 2.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

lVIy invention consists in' an improved mechanism or horse-power which may be employed .for driving any kind of machinery and for a great variety of other purposes, and which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the rectangular frame, in which the operative mechanism of my improved horsepower is here shown as supported.

B indicates an upright spindle, on which the masterwheel 0 revolves, this spindle passing up through the center of the large master-wheel. This master-wheel O is formed in or on its periphery with the inclined teeth 0', running like the threads of a screw, as shown. The inclined teeth of this large master-wheel mesh with the inclined teeth D of a bull-pinion, D, which is rigidly mounted upon the upper end of an upright shaft, E, this bull-pinion being in shape like a section of a screw, and on the lower part of this upright shaft E is rigidly mounted a larger pinion, F, also formed with inclined or spiral teeth F, being similar in shape to a section of a screw.

By making the shaft of the bull-pinion parallel with the shaft of the master-wheel a better result is obtained than in the usual form of worm-gearing, as in the old style of wormgearing the pressure of the teeth of the master-wheel is longitudinal of the shaft of the pinion, thus applying the power in such a manner as to cause considerable loss, and to operate the pinion entirely by friction of the teeth of the wheel against the teeth of the pinion. My invention, however, obviates this, as by placing the shaft of the pinion parallel with the shaft of the master-wheel the pinion is turned by direct leverage or contact of the periphery of the master-wheel with that of the pinion without the ordinary obj ectionable toothed gearing. In other words, my invention is a cross between the ordinary cog-gear and the worm-gearing, possessing the advantages of both without their corresponding disadvantages.

It is evident that the length of the teeth upon the master-wheel must be the same as the circumference of the pinion, so that each.

tooth of the master-wheel will enter the succeeding thread or tooth of the pinion.

In the lower part of the supporting-frame Ais mounted a horizontal shaft, G, having on its center a small screw-pinion, H, with which the spiral pinion F meshes, and on the outer end of this horizontal shaft is rigidly keyed a pinion, I, formed with the inclined or spiral teeth I','this pinion also being in the form of a section of a screw.

In the upper partof the right-hand end of the frame A, above the right-hand or outer end of the shaft E, is journaled the inner part or end of another parallel shaft, K, on the said inner end of which is rigidly keyed'a small screw-pinion, L, which meshes with the end pinion, I, and the outer end of this parallel upper shaft may have mounted upon it a circular saw, M; or the outer part of this upper shaft may be formed with a universal joint, so as to raise the outer part of the shaft at an inclination for running any shaft or mechanism which necessarily stands on a higher plane than the frame A, as will be readily understood.

Upon the upper side of the master-wheel O is formed the hub'O which is formed with the four opposite wings or projections 0 having the horizontal apertures or openings 0 formed in their lower part, as most clearly shown in the sectional view, Fig. 3, of the drawin gs. Near the periphery of the master-wheel,

upon its upper side, are secured the shouldered rests or stops PP, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

R indicates the removable lever, which is formed at its inner end with the longitudinal extension or projection R, formed at one side of the inner end of the lever, this extension being of such size as to adapt it to enter either one of the apertures O in the base of the hub-extensions C".

In operation the horse or horses are attached to the outer end of the lever R and move in a circle around the frame A, the projection on the inner end of the lever B having been placed in one of the apertures C, so that it bears against the lower part of one of the wings or extensions 0 of the hub, as shown in the drawings, the middle part of the lever resting upon and against one of the shouldered stops P, and it will be seen that the lever is thus thoroughly strengthened against the strain on its outer end, and prevented from pulling out of the hub while in operation. It will be seen that the large master-wheel O is about fourteen times as large as the bull-pinion l), with which it first meshes, so that the said bull-pinion will be rotated fourteen times for one revolution of the main or master wheel. The spiral pinion F is three or more times as large as the screwpinion II, with which it meshes, while the pinion I on the outer end of the shaft E is twice or more times as large as the said screw-pinion H, and, again, the screw-pinion L is only about one-third as large as the said spiral pinion I, which meshes with it, and it will be seen that by constructing the several wheels and pinions of the sizes described the upper auxiliary shaft will be revolved with great rapidity, revolving from ninetysix to two hundred and fifty times for one revolution of the main or master wheel.

It will be seen that all the wheels and pinions of my improved gearing are formed with the spiral teeth; and my invention possesses the great advantage that a jack-screw has over a square-cog lifting jack or device. To illustrate this, a j ack-screw may be set under one end of a forty-ton engine or other body, and with a two-foot lover you can raise one end of the engine or body, or twenty tons. To do this with a square-cog mechanism would require at least twenty horses. Then a jackscrew with a three-foot lever would be equal to forty horses with a square-cog power, and so on.

My improved power, using a five-foot mastor-wheel and a twelve-foot lever, is equal to ninety-five horses using a square-cog power or gear. By the use of the auxiliary shaft K, I gain in speed without the loss of power, as the two parallel shafts can be run without the use of square cogs or bevel-wheels. The several threads or spiral teeth may be so cut that the machinery can be run in either direction, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. It will be seen that I gain in speed and power, as I save the loss of power which occurs in the use of square cogs and the great friction caused by the backlash of the cogs. The meshing spiral teeth transmit power with the minimum of friction, and by the use of my invention I gain both in speed and power. It will be seen that my invention can be used with either parallel shafts or with. shafts running at right angles to one another. Besides being arranged as a horse-power, as here illustrated, this mechanism can be employed on a reaper or mower (as well as on a great number of other machines) by mounting the master-wheel on an axle of the machine in a suitable boxing, so that the drive-wheels of the machine will rotate the master-wheel, and the other parts of the power are suitably arranged so as to work the pitman of the mower, as will be readily understood.

My improved mechanism is a complete screw-power without a straight cog in it, and will work as noiselessly as a jack-screw.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a horsepower, a master-wheel provided at its periphery with inclined teeth which engage with a vertically-arranged bull-pinion, which is threaded to engage with the inclined teeth of the master-wheel, the lower end of the shaft of the bull-pinion carrying apinion oppositely threaded, the last-mentioned pinion meshing with a spirally-grooved pinion on a horizontal shaft, whereby when the master wheel is turned the Vertical shaft having the oppositely-threaded pinions will be caused to rotate without exerting a tendency to raise or lower said shaft, suubstantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto attixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. IRUET.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM A. PRAY, W. 'P. WALTON. 

